Wednesday: Helena, Montana

We left Buffalo, WY just before 7 AM - it had rained the night before and the morning was cool and cloudy. As the sun rose higher, we took zillions of photos of clouds - they were spectacular!

Following I-90 north, at the Montana border we entered the Crow Indian Reservation and headed toward Bozeman, where we picked up the magnifying mirror I'd left at the hotel last week. Yay, they had it! The application of makeup, even the minimal amount one slaps on during vacations, requires seeing all the gory details clearly.

Montana's terrain is so varied, mostly depending on how near the mountains you are. We were happy to see mountains again.

Just before reaching Bozeman, we stopped for lunch at Livingston (pop. 7,000). Livingston is sandwiched between the Crazy Mtns and the Absaroka Range. Jalisco, a large Mexican restaurant, served us huge taco salads for only $7.15 each. We walked through a little park after lunch and came across rows of trees all decorated with yellow ribbons. Attached to each ribbon is a photograph of a man or woman from the area who is currently serving in the armed forces. What a great idea.

We reached Helena about 2:30 PM, way earlier than we've been used to. In fact, we had time to visit the impressive State Capitol building. Here are a few of the photos we took:

Reading the guide book.

The building is made of local sandstone and granite, the dome is made of copper, and the figure atop it is "Montana" who holds a torch and shield to signify freedom and the state of Montana.

The inside of the Capitol is beautifully ornate. It's tough to capture it in photos. These photos show the colorful design (taken by John from a 3rd floor balcony), and one of the spectacular stained glass windows:

Looking up to the Capitol Dome:

We even had time to board the Last Chance Tour Train for an hour's trip around town:

Pedestrian shopping area

Mural honoring women and their contributions to Montana.

Window in Grandstreet Theatre building.

It looks like a prison, but it's a house built by a former madam. Behind it is an old fire lookout station, high atop a hill overlooking the town.

The Montana Governor's Mansion is just a house on the Capitol grounds. A nice big house, but still not overly fancy. Interesting.

Fast-food dinner enjoyed in our hotel suite (don't worry, mine was a salad- but dessert involved a hot apple pie), and we're ready for sleep. We watched a PBS special about Garrison Keillor and his Prairie Home Companion radio show. Amazing man. Tomorrow we will visit the Cathedral of St. Helena if we have time, and then it's onward to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.